Is there a Stigma attached to your diabetes ? What is your experience.

[Rene Droomer]

I know for myself, the biggest physiological impact of Diabetes stigma is that I don't like to test or inject in public because I don't like it when people look and I wonder what they think. I have delayed testing and injecting, particularly in restaurants, because of this. What are your experiences and feelings on this, or other diabetes stigma related experiences?

 

[Northerner]

I decided from the moment I was diagnosed that I would inject or test when I need to, wherever I happen to be. I'm not ashamed of it and couldn't care less what people think, especially strangers. I don't make a big show of it, but nor would I. The only time I've had a negative reaction was when I was on a train once and injected, and the man sat next to me gave me a disgusted look and got up and walked away. That made it his problem as there weren't any more seats! 🙂

 

[Ljc]

I’ve e been on MDI for about 1 1/2 years now and feel the same as Northener. I am as as discrete as possible, I’ve not had anyone object yet but have had the odd strange look. No way will I go into the establishments loo to inject.

 

[trophywench]

There's never been any stigma attached to mine.

Only once ever have I seen a look of horror on someone's face - whilst sitting on the prom at Berck sur Mer one day during the annual international kite festival, about to eat some frites we'd bought from the van on the front. I happened to look up and this woman walking past obviously couldn't believe her eyes, jabbed her husband in the ribs and spoke to him and the two of them were staring at us. So I deliberately did another air shot (still on MDI then) and did it all in a very exaggerated way with flourishes, LOL Then grinned at them and waved whilst my husband was muttering - Go on then - find a gendarme why don't you and get him to arrest us?

We were quite disappointed when they scurried off, tut-tutting.

 

[mikeyB]

I couldn’t give a monkeys red jacket about anybody seeing me injecting in public. Some people - even with T1 - are afraid of needles, but as long as you don’t wave your naked pen in people’s faces, there shouldn’t be a problem. If it is, so what. As Northerner says, that’s their problem. I don’t test in public anymore (I used to) because I use the blessed Libre reader. Some people do notice that, and are usually interested more than anything else.

As I’ve said before, if I’m wearing a short sleeved shirt and people see the sensor, I just tell them I’m a synth and that’s where I plug myself in at night.

 

[Jimmy Keenan]

Same as Mike people find it interesting when they find outs it’s insulin. Used to try and be as discreet as possible but not really bothered now. Must be old age and never been thrown out of the bingo yet!!!

 

[Flower]

I test my bg with my meter either in my lap or in my bag, I don't like doing it in public. It's easy with a pump just to press a few buttons to deliver insulin and I've only been asked a handful of times what my gadget is.

I really dislike having to treat a hypo in public as I hate being seen eating when out so try to be as discrete as possible. I reckon that comes from being issued with detentions at school if a prefect saw you eating wearing school uniform - I really should have grown out of it by now!

 

[eggyg]

I don’t make a big show of testing or injecting but nor do I hide it. Quite often my hubby will ask if I have injected as he hasn’t even noticed! That may say more about being married for 37 years than the original question! I don’t feel stigma and like @mikeyB I use a Libre and people are usually very interested and want to know how it works.

 

[eggyg]

I couldn’t give a monkeys red jacket about anybody seeing me injecting in public. Some people - even with T1 - are afraid of needles, but as long as you don’t wave your naked pen in people’s faces, there shouldn’t be a problem. If it is, so what. As Northerner says, that’s their problem. I don’t test in public anymore (I used to) because I use the blessed Libre reader. Some people do notice that, and are usually interested more than anything else.

As I’ve said before, if I’m wearing a short sleeved shirt and people see the sensor, I just tell them I’m a synth and that’s where I plug myself in at night.

Should be fun on Saturday, there’s at least three Libre users going as far as I know. You, I and @Greyhound Gal. Might clear the pub! 😉

 

[Ljc]

I use a Libre, I’m waiting for someone to say you’ve got something stuck on your arm or what’s that thing on your arm.

 

[Robin]

I use a Libre, I’m waiting for someone to say you’ve got something stuck on your arm or what’s that thing on your arm.

I've found if people notice it, they're too polite to mention it, unless you bring the subject up, when they immediately want to know all about it.
As for injecting, I came back from last holiday squashed between two German businessmen, as OH and I couldn't get seats together, and I injected in very cramped conditions when the obligatory Lufthansa Sandwich arrived, and neither of them noticed a thing!

 

[Copepod]

I don't feel any stigma about having type 1 diabetes, but I'm selective about who I let know and when, particularly when meeting new colleagues. Once revealed, it's not possible to regain the knowledge, so I prefer people to learn other things about me before diabetes. And some never need to know about diabetes, particularly if I've heard them talking inaccurately. Then I challenge wrong facts, without necessarily revealing personal experience.

 

[Maz2]

One of our table companions injected at the table (Type II) a couple of years ago. We had never met them before and he explained the situation. It did not bother me apart from I was glad I did not have to do it (I am no good with injections). I have to turn away when I am given one. That is just for me though when it is being done to me; it does not bother me if a diabetic has to inject or anyone else come to that. If it is a medical need then it has to be done.

 

[Sprogladite]

I've always injected/tested in public - I honestly think if I have to sit and have multiple needles stuck in me on a daily basis, I have the right to do it where and when I want. If other people are offended by this that's their problem. I once got told I 'shouldn't do it in front of children because it gives them the wrong idea' - to which I told the horrified parent that it was their job to educate their kids that needles don't always equal druggies. It makes me so mad when people assume I should scurry off to the loo to do it - why on earth should I go to a nasty, unclean public loo to give myself medication I literally need to live?!

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

I've never felt stigmatised by my diabetes, and never paid any attention to people's reactions to me self-monitoring or injecting in public.

I am careful to be relatively disrcreet wherever I can, (eg I used to position myself in a restaurant so I could inject beneath the table out of sight of other diners). If I am aware of anyone severely needle-phobic I'd bear that in mind, but mstly I just keep my head down and get on with it. I figure if I don't look up and check for stares/horrified glances then they can simply pass me by.

In 27 years of diabetes no one has ever been nasty to me about my public displays of diabetes management. The only eye-contacts I have had have been beaming smiles from other PWD 'in the wild'.

 

[Sally71]

We always do finger pricks at the table, and then because we are pumping this is followed just by a few button pushes so anyone looking will just think we are texting or something. Daughter used to prefer to do the finger prick bit under the table, but is slowly getting used to the fact that nobody is looking anyway because they are all too interested in their own food, so she's a bit braver now and doesn't always try to hide it. The only time we've had comments is when we are eating together with people who aren't aware of the procedure, and then they are usually genuinely interested which isn't so bad.

My daughter doesn't like it if people ask her what her pump or Libre sensor are, although again it depends who is asking and how they say it. She usually replies that she doesn't want to talk about it, although having changed schools recently she's had a couple of interested teachers asking about it and I think she's managed to have more of an informative conversation with them (she has real problems talking about her diabetes at all). A while back at one of her dance classes loads of young kids were asking her what her sensor was and the answer " I don't want to talk about it thank you" was just completely ignored and they pestered her relentlessly which wasn't nice. We asked the teacher to talk to all of them and ask them to leave her alone and concentrate on their dancing, because that's what they are there for, but that only worked for a short while. She's left that dance school now and at the other one she goes to everyone is much nicer and most of them don't ask, the ones that do get the message straight away that she doesn't want to talk about it and they don't ask again. She does get a few comments about "it's not fair, she's eating sweets in class" when treating a hypo, which she usually ignores because her brain is in no state to formulate a suitable answer, but the last time that happened in dance class the teacher told everyone that "actually what's not fair is that she's got a medical condition that means she has to eat sweets even when she doesn't want to." Good answer, I love that woman!!

If it was me I don't think I'd give two hoots what other people thought, so whilst not advertising the fact I don't think I'd hide it either. I'm hoping that in time my daughter will eventually learn to have this attitude, she's just starting to take the first small steps in that direction now 🙂

 

[Sprogladite]

I think there's also quite a lot of judgment about what food passes your lips when eating in front of anyone - actual conversation I had a couple of weeks ago with a friend:

Me: Tests blood sugar, I'm 2.3. No wonder I feel c**p. Reaches for jelly babies
Friend: I thought you couldn't eat those because you're diabetic?
Me: Normally no, but I'm having a hypo and need to raise glucose levels otherwise I'm going to pass out and possibly die
Friend: So you HAVE to eat sweets sometimes?
Me: nods while chewing
Friend: That must be nice!
Me: chokes, tries not to let angry hypo rage take over. Takes deep breath and concentrates on chewing.

I later explained how NOT nice having a hypo is, and she understands better now. But it really took a lot of willpower not to rip her head off lol

 

[Amigo]

I think there's also quite a lot of judgment about what food passes your lips when eating in front of anyone - actual conversation I had a couple of weeks ago with a friend:

Me: Tests blood sugar, I'm 2.3. No wonder I feel c**p. Reaches for jelly babies
Friend: I thought you couldn't eat those because you're diabetic?
Me: Normally no, but I'm having a hypo and need to raise glucose levels otherwise I'm going to pass out and possibly die
Friend: So you HAVE to eat sweets sometimes?
Me: nods while chewing
Friend: That must be nice!
Me: chokes, tries not to let angry hypo rage take over. Takes deep breath and concentrates on chewing.

I later explained how NOT nice having a hypo is, and she understands better now. But it really took a lot of willpower not to rip her head off lol

I hope you replied;


‘I'll try my best not to judge you after the spectacularly stupid comment you just made about a health condition you know nothing about.’ 🙄

 

[Sprogladite]

I hope you replied;


‘I'll try my best not to judge you after the spectacularly stupid comment you just made about a health condition you know nothing about.’ 🙄

Haha no, but she did apologise for the comment after I'd explained what a hypo is like! We are still friends 🙂

 

[Ljc]

I think there's also quite a lot of judgment about what food passes your lips when eating in front of anyone - actual conversation I had a couple of weeks ago with a friend:

Me: Tests blood sugar, I'm 2.3. No wonder I feel c**p. Reaches for jelly babies
Friend: I thought you couldn't eat those because you're diabetic?
Me: Normally no, but I'm having a hypo and need to raise glucose levels otherwise I'm going to pass out and possibly die
Friend: So you HAVE to eat sweets sometimes?
Me: nods while chewing
Friend: That must be nice!
Me: chokes, tries not to let angry hypo rage take over. Takes deep breath and concentrates on chewing.

I later explained how NOT nice having a hypo is, and she understands better now. But it really took a lot of willpower not to rip her head off lol

I understand fully about how hard it is to control hypo rage under those conditions. I congratulate you on your control.
It is hard for people who have not and hopefully will never experience a rotten hypo , what it is like for us when having and recovering from one.

I spied my dad giving my breakfast plate a check over this morning, he’s got this ridiculous idea that everything I eat is bad and too big a portion.
Thankfully he’s learned its best to keep those opinions to himself now.